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Passport & Visa Information

IMPORTANT: You are responsible for obtaining the proper travel documents for the destinations on your itinerary.

Passports: Your U.S. passport should be valid at least 6 months or longer after the date of travel. Passport applications are available at most U.S. Post Offices, as well as at regional Passport Agencies. To learn how to apply for a U.S. Passport including expedited services, click here. Passengers requiring visas, whether obtained in advance or locally upon arrival, should ensure that their passport has unstamped visa pages.

Visas: If a visa is required and cannot be obtained upon arrival in your destination, you should make arrangements with the appropriate foreign consular representative, allowing enough time for mailing and processing. Alternatively, you may obtain a visa through a fee-based service such as GEN VISA.

Double Entry/ Multiple Entry Visas: If your itinerary involves entering a country, leaving and then later re-entering the same country, you may require a double-entry or multiple entry visa. Be sure to describe your itinerary clearly when contacting a foreign consular representative.

Entry Requirements for U.S. Passport Holders: Country details below are based on information obtained from the U.S. State Department as of July 24, 2012. This information is subject to change. To check for updates, please check with the consular office of the countries to be visited and/or click here.

Non U.S. Citizens: All information provided below pertains to U.S. passport holders only. Non-U.S. Citizens should check with the appropriate foreign consular representative.

Sea Cruise Passengers: Passengers on sea cruises should check carefully the requirements for each country to be visited on their sailing itinerary. Passengers without the correct documentation may be denied boarding at time of embarkation. Passengers may contact their sea cruise line directly for information but remain responsible to obtain any necessary visas. Click here for Royal Caribbean information about Passports or Documentation.

International Entry & Visa Requirements for U.S. Passport Holders

Countries listed below require specific visa and/or other entry documentation in addition to a U.S. passport. All other countries (not listed) require only valid U.S. passports.

ARGENTINA - U.S. and Canadian Citizens arriving Argentina at Buenos Aires Aeroparque Airport (AEP) or Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) are required to pay an entry fee of $160, payable online in advance. Effective January 7, 2013, U.S. and Canadian Citizens arriving at any point of entry into Argentina will be required to pay the entry fee which MUST be paid online in advance. For payment details, visit http://www.gate1travel.com/departure_tax.aspx.

AUSTRALIA - Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa is required. See eta.immi.gov.au for more information. Please click on the "Apply for ETA" button in the top left hand corner to fill in the on-line application form for an ETA visa. Additional information regarding this visa can be found at the various links directly below the "Apply for ETA" and "Check your ETA" buttons.

BOLIVIA - Visa required. Visas are available for purchase at the Bolivian Border, however we strongly suggest it is obtained in advance to avoid long delays and ensure entry. Visas may be obtained upon arrival or in advance by mail or in person at Bolivian consulates in the U.S. Upon arrival, the $160 visa fee is payable in cash only and must be accompanied by a visa application form with a 4cm x 4cm color photograph, a passport with a validity of not less than 6 months, evidence of a hotel reservation or a letter of invitation in Spanish, proof of economic solvency (credit card, cash, or a current bank statement), and an International Vaccination Certificate for yellow fever. Contact the Embassy of Bolivia at 4420 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite #2, Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-232-4828 or 232-4827; Website: bolivia-usa.org. There are Bolivian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, and Seattle.

BRAZIL - Visa required. Contact the Brazilian Embassy at 3006 Whitehaven Street, NW Washington DC 20008-3634. Phone (202) 238-2700. Website: http://washington.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/. Note that those living outside of the this region must contact the consulate of their jurisdiction. There are Brazilian Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. Two days following your initial booking and deposit, you will receive complete information via email about obtaining a visa to Brazil.

CAMBODIA - Visa required. Tourists may obtain a Cambodian visa for $30 upon arrival at the airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and at all major border crossings. Two passport-sized photographs are required. Visas may also be obtained in advance online at least 3 business days prior to travel at https://www.evisa.gov.kh/ for $37.

CANADA - US citizens do not need a visa to visit Canada. Important: Non-US citizens may need a visa or, if traveling via Canada to another country, a transit visa may be required. The Transit Without Visa program (TWOV) and China Transit Program (CTP) allow certain foreign nationals to transit through Canada on their way to and from the United States without a Canadian transit visa. For more information, visit www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp.

CHINA - Visa required. Effective August 1st 2012, U.S. passport holders are required to provide additional documentation to support their visa application which includes (1) full passport name; (2) hotel names, addresses and phone numbers; and (3) confirmed airline reservations with ticket numbers. This information will be provided to you in writing by Gate 1 upon receipt of your full payment and once airline tickets have been issued. To learn how to obtain a visa from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC), visit www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/adr/ for more information.There are also Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Two days following your initial booking and deposit, you will receive complete information via email about obtaining a visa to China. Special note for customers also visiting TIBET - A group permit is required for travel to Tibet and will be obtained for you upon final payment. The cost of this permit is included in the package price. At this time, Gate 1 is only able to obtain a Tibet visa for U.S. passport holders. For all passengers traveling to Tibet, when applying for your Chinese Visa, in Section 2, of the application, Your Visit to China - 2.5 Please list Counties/Cities and Provinces to visit in China in a time sequence, it is only necessary to include : Shanghai, Xian and Beijing. Click here for more information.

CUBA - A visa is required. Passport information and signed Travel Affidavit will be submitted to Gate 1 Travel who will obtain the required documentation for travel to Cuba for US Citizens. Non U.S. Citizens should check with the Cuban consulate to determine what travel documents may be required for travel to Cuba. Cuban-born U.S. Citizens require the following documents: Those who departed Cuba prior to December 31, 1970: PE-11 visa (allow 6 weeks to process) or a Cuban passport (allow 4 months); or those who departed Cuba after January 1, 1971: Cuban passport (allow 4 months).

EGYPT - Visa required. Visas may be purchased at the Cairo airport upon arrival, and is payable in cash US dollars. Royal Caribbean International ® passengers may obtain a visa upon the ship's arrival to port.

INDIA - Visa required. To obtain a visa, passengers may visit http://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info.jsp. Passengers traveling to India will need to provide a reference, including name, address, and phone number, for their Indian visa. Click here for further information. Two days following your initial booking and deposit, you will receive complete information via email about obtaining a visa to India. Passengers entering India twice in the same trip (for example, when combining India & Nepal) will require a dual entry visa for India. Contact the Embassy of India, 220 Eye Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 1-773-358-1742 OR other consulates found at http://www.in.ckgs.us/. Visa applications should be submitted as early as possible as visa processing may require as long as 30 days.

JORDAN - Visa required. Visas for tourist visits can be obtained upon arrival at most international ports of entry including Amman's international airport, and land crossings from Israel at Arava/Eilat South Border and Sheikh Hussein/North Border. From Jan 1, 2011: Single entry visa costs $60 and multiple entry visa costs $90 approximately. For entry into Jordan via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge, a visa must be obtained in advance. Contact the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 3504 International Drive, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-966-2664. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/page/consulate-forms

KENYA - Visa required. Visas may be obtained in advance, or are available for purchase at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport for U.S. citizens. Travelers who opt to purchase a visa at the airport may experience delays and should be prepared to pay in USD (cash). The current fee for a single entry visa is $50. Passengers continuing onto Tanzania, and connecting in Nairobi, Kenya for their final departure flight to the US do not require a transit or multiple entry visa. A single entry visa is valid for connecting flights. Passengers continuing onto Tanzania from Kenya must carry proof of yellow fever vaccination. Contact the Kenyan Embassy at 2247 R-Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-387-6101; Website: http://www.kenyaembassy.com/.

LAOS - Visa required. Tourists may obtain a visa for $35 upon arrival at the airports in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and at major border crossings. Two passport-sized photographs are required.

MYANMAR - Visa required. Residents of New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey should contact the Myanmar Permanent Mission in New York. Website: www.mmnewyork.org/. Residents of all other states should contact the Mission in Washington, D.C. Website: www.mewashingtondc.com/. The Tourist Visa application process requires a valid passport, application form, work history form, copy of itinerary round-trip airline ticket(s), two passport sized photos and a $20 money order. Visas may also be obtained online as of Sep 1, 2014 at http://www.myanmarevisa.gov.mm/NewApplication.aspx for $50.

NEPAL - Visa required. Tourists may obtain a visa for $25 payable in cash upon arrival at the airport in Kathmandu. Passengers should bring two passport sized photographs for the visa. Prior to departure from Kathmandu airport, there is an airport tax of approx. $17 for passengers traveling to India. Passengers returning to India for the second time in the same trip will require a dual entry visa for India.

RUSSIA - Visa required. The visa application process requires an application form, one passport-sized photo, your trip confirmation from Gate 1, a Visa Support Letter (VSL) also provided by Gate 1, and a processing fee. Two days following your initial booking and deposit, you will receive complete information via email about obtaining a Visa Support Letter (VSL) and a visa to Russia. Visas services for the Embassy of the Russian Federation are managed by Invisa Logistics Services at their Visa Center, 1680 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.Tel. (202) 827-0895; Fax (202) 827-0896. All applicants must first complete an online Visa Application Form at http://visa.kdmid.ru and then either appear in person at the Visa Center ($30 fee in addition to the Consular visa fees) or submit their application via a visa service. Details at http://www.russianembassy.org/page/tourist-visa. Royal Caribbean International®, Norwegian Cruise Lines® and Holland America Line passengers do not need a visa if arranging shore excursions or car service directly with the cruise line, otherwise regular visa rules above apply.

SLOVAKIA - Proof of sufficient health insurance coverage and funds (generally in the amount of $50 per person per day) are required upon entry.

SOUTH AFRICA - Passengers joining the 12 Day Classic South Africa are required to have at least one, entirely blank (unstamped) visa page (i.e. one side of such a page not front and back thereof) in their passport, each time entry is sought into South Africa. This includes re-entry from Swaziland. Passengers continuing on to Zimbabwe and/or Botswana are required to have four blank visa pages. These pages are in addition to the endorsement/amendment pages at the back of the passport. South African government regulations prohibit airlines from boarding passengers without the required blank visa page. Effective June 1, 2015 children 17 & under will be required to present an unabridged full birth certificate. Extracts or copies are not acceptable. If both parents are not traveling with the child, additional documentation is required. For more information regarding children's entry requirements please visit the South African consulate website http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/homeaffairs/index.htm or https://www.flysaa.com/jo/en/planmytrip/travelAdvisory/sa-immigration-under-18.html

SWAZILAND - Upon entry, passport holders traveling to Swaziland from South Africa are strongly encouraged to have several unstamped visa pages left in their passports.

TANZANIA - Visa required and all passport holders should have four entirely blank (unstamped) visa pages in their passport. Visas are available for purchase at the Kilimanjaro Airport, however we strongly suggest it is obtained in advance to avoid long delays and ensure entry. Visas upon arrival are not guaranteed. The current fee for a visa is $100. Passengers purchasing a visa at the airport must be prepared to pay in USD (cash). To pre-purchase a visa, contact the Embassy of Tanzania, 1232 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, telephone (202) 884-1080. Passengers must carry proof of yellow fever vaccination.

TURKEY - Visa required. Effective April 10, 2014 an advance e-visa is required and "sticker type" visas can no longer be obtained on arrival at the airport in Istanbul. See https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/ for more information and to obtain a visa. Visas are not required for sea cruise passengers who purchase shore excursions to Kusadasi and Istanbul. When entering Turkey via a land border crossing, a pre-obtained e-Visa is also required. Contact the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey at 2525 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone: (202) 612-6700, or the Turkish consulates general in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, or New York. Information may also be found at turkey.org.

ZIMBABWE - Visa required. Visas may be purchased upon arrival to Zimbabwe. Americans entering Zimbabwe for tourism can expect to pay $30 USD for a single-entry visa and $45 for a double-entry visa. Passengers traveling on the 14 Day Classic South Africa with Victoria Falls and Discovery Tours Zimbabwe, Botswana & South Africa Adventure are only required to purchase a single entry visa. Passengers traveling on the 16 Day Classic South Africa with Victoria Falls & Botswana will be required to purchase a double-entry visa.

All information and rates are subject to change without notice. Non-U.S. Citizens should check with the appropriate foreign consular representative.

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